West Texas A&M University

Headhunters/Search Firms/Employment Agencies

Coming out of an economic downturn, companies that are skittish to hire full-time workers for budget reasons but need additional hands for business purposes often start by bringing on temporary workers first.

While you can search online using keywords like "part-time" and "temporary" you should also consider registering with any or all staffing firms that search for candidates with your expertise. Here are some reasons why:

They’re free. Staffing firms make their money from the employers not the candidates. You should not have to plunk down a dime.

Temp work is growing. With the economy hopefully recovering from the worst recession since the depression, employers might be hesitant to hire employees full-time; however they will hire temporary employees if they have work that MUST be done.

The positions can be long-term. A common misconception job seekers have about staffing firms and the jobs they fill is that the positions last only a few weeks. Not so, many projects can last several months or even a year.

The work can lead to a full-time position. Work through a staffing firm can, and often does, result in a full-time job. For example, if a company’s finances are more stable at the end of your contract or you prove too valuable to lose that temporary position could become permanent.

Staffing firms span multiple industries. Another misconception about staffing firms is that they only hire for administrative positions. Not so, they hire in all industries including health care, finance, marketing, IT, law and manufacturing.

Here is a list of just a few staffing firms looking for candidates and some of the hundreds of temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time job openings they have now.